The present invention is generally related to a process and system for enabling electronic transmission, reception and management of information over a global communication network, such as the Internet. More particularly, the invention is related to a method and system for distributing electronic documents generally including sensitive information to selected users, to a method and system for communicating to such users tasks that need to be executed in connection with a project, and to a method and system for tracking and managing execution of such tasks.
People and businesses have become aware of the potential of the xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d, sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cglobal communications networkxe2x80x9d, a digital communications network which connects computers all over the world. Unfortunately, security on the Internet remains imperfect, particularly since one of the Internet""s design goalsxe2x80x94an ability to route communications around damage to any nodexe2x80x94makes it difficult to know or control the path by which any particular message will travel to reach its intended recipient, and who else will have access to it along the way.
Network software known as xe2x80x9cgroupware,xe2x80x9d such as xe2x80x9cLotus Notes,xe2x80x9d running on a computer network within a company (a xe2x80x9cprivate networkxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cIntranetxe2x80x9d), permits individuals who have access to that particular network to work together efficiently by sharing documents, and editorial revisions to shared documents such as document updates, xe2x80x9credlinedxe2x80x9d revised drafts, and comments, as well as e-mail to create conference room collegiality and efficiency among employees actually separated in time and/or space without the security risks associated with the global network.
However, there is still no entirely satisfactory way for people at different companies or other entities to have the benefits of private network security, particularly for ad hoc alliances, i.e., different sets of entities coming together to function as one mega or meta entity, for the duration of some particular project. In such a case, the time and expense of actually wiring a network between two or more companies or other entities and agreeing on one common software package or standard presents a barrier to conventional network solutions. Simply using the Internet remains imperfectly secure for transmission of confidential information without some pre-arranged encryption and current methods for pre-arranging secure encryption processes have been cumbersome and unproductive.
Thus, there is a yet-unsolved problem of permitting different groups of companies or other entities to communicate securely over a global network for different projects, to quickly and inexpensively obtain the benefits of secure groupware in connection with each project, and to be able to add and drop entities without difficulty with respect to any particular project.
Relatively complex and fast-moving projects, such as due diligence projects, may involve coordination among various groups of entities or participants, often with diverging perspective and goals. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, one main purpose of any due diligence process in the context of merger and acquisition (M and A) transactions is to establish a thorough understanding of the M and A targets prior to the closing of the transaction. Typically, a vast amount of information needs to be reviewed, and analyzed by advisors, such as legal counsel, engineering consultants, accountants, insurance carriers, human resources consultants, etc. In some instances, some advisors may be in-house advisors as employees of a given entity and thus constitute an internal team. However, the advisors in many instances may be independently associated with external entities such as law firms or major accounting firms and thus a team of advisors may be comprised of either external teams or combinations of the above. Heretofore, due diligence documentation may have been prepared in the form of confidential paper documents or stored in compact-disk read-only memories (xe2x80x9cCD ROMsxe2x80x9d) forwarded by non-electronic delivery, such as Federal Express, to the recipients. After reviewing the information, an acquiring entity, generally in consultation with legal counsel, accountants, and other advisors of its own, may notify the target of its willingness or unwillingness to move forward in connection with a given transaction. Often, the acquiring entity may request additional information or clarification from the target. Negotiations may then occur between the acquiring entity and the target generating more documentation prior to closing. Heretofore, such communications between the acquiring entity and the target may have been carried out by meetings, mail, telephone or telefacsimile.
Although some forms of paperless communication systems have been provided for concurrently interconnecting, on a project-by-project basis, members of a plurality of groups of parties. Some of those systems may have interfaces not readily conducive for secure Internet communication. Other systems may lack the ability to systematically post and track execution of tasks that need to be performed during the project. Yet other systems do not have the capability of actively notifying a user as to whether a document is available to be retrieved by that user over a global data communications network and/or whether a task assigned to that user is approaching a critical deadline. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system and techniques which enables secure document transmission between users over a global communication network and which is not subject to the foregoing drawbacks. It would be further desirable to provide a system and techniques that would facilitate archival of the information collected in the project so that other users that may be involved in other subsequent projects, such as the integration team involved in the post M and A transaction, may gain the benefit of the historical information accumulated during the due diligence process.
Generally, the present invention fulfills the foregoing needs by providing a method and system for securely communicating and managing project information among multiple project participants. More particularly, the invention includes a database located at a secure data storage facility and a computer program operable at such facility for enabling reception, storage and transmission of securely encrypted documents with access to the documents being enabled through a global computer network using conventional network browser software having encryption capability. For example, Microsoft Corporation Internet Explorer 4.0 having 128-bit encryption capability can be used to access the data storage facility. Any project participant can download a document to which he/she has access, make modifications as desired using conventional word processors and upload modified documents with comments to the storage facility. However, original documents at the facility may only be modified by selected persons having authorization to edit such originals. The invention may also provide read-only capability to selected project participants and preclude upload capability by other selected users. If desired, the invention may provide active notification to intended document reviewers of the presence of a document at the secure storage facility for review.
In one aspect thereof, the present invention provides a method for communicating and managing project information. The method allows for storing project-related information including project documentation in a database. The method further provides an interface screen available through a global communications network. The interface screen is configurable to identify a plurality of project tasks. The interface screen includes a datafield for defining a respective time window over which each of said tasks is to be performed by at least one project participant. The method allows for posting over the global communications network to selected project participants the plurality of project tasks. The posted plurality of project tasks is linkable to the database to retrieve project documentation that requires review by the selected project participants. A communicating step allows for communicating over the global communications network project status data for populating a project status screen indicative of the status of respective ones of the plurality of tasks.
In another aspect thereof, the present invention allows for providing a system for communicating and managing project information. The system comprises a database configured to store project-related information including project documentation. The system further comprises an interface screen available through a global communications network. The interface screen is configurable to identify a plurality of project tasks. The interface screen includes a datafield for defining a respective time window over which each of said tasks is to be performed by at least one project participant. A posting module is configured to post over the global communications network to selected project participants the plurality of project tasks. The posted plurality of project tasks is linkable to the database to retrieve project documentation that requires review by said selected project participants. A project status screen is indicative of the status of respective ones of the plurality of tasks. The project status screen is responsive to project status data communicated over the global communications by respective project participants.